Digital cameras are becoming more and more popular as their price decreases and the quality of their images increases. Consumers like digital cameras because images taken with such cameras can be quickly viewed on a computer. In addition, a computer can be used to correct and alter digital images. This allows the photographer to exercise a high degree of control and creativity, without complex chemical procedures.
Thus, the involvement of a computer in the picture-taking process allows functions that were previously obtainable only in conjunction with a photo processing lab. On the other hand, however, the computer adds a step that was previously not required for viewing snapshots. With film-based technology, a consumer could simply drop a film cartridge with a photo developer and pick up the resulting prints. Although this did not provide the creative opportunities that are possible with digital images, it was simpler and required less effort.
One specific inconvenience when using digital cameras, which this invention addresses, relates to correcting images that are taken when the digital camera is rotated 90.degree. from its normal orientation. When held normally, a camera captures an image having a larger width dimension than height dimension. The resulting image is said to be in a "landscape" orientation. In many instances, however, a user wishes to create an image having a larger height dimension as compared to the width dimension. The resulting image is said to be in a "portrait" orientation. To capture an image with a portrait orientation, the user simply rotates the camera 90.degree..
With film-based cameras this presents no particular difficulties. Landscape and portrait images are oriented differently on the exposed film. However, prints can be made from the film without any knowledge of the actual orientation. When a user browses through the prints, he or she simply rotates them, by hand, to the correct viewing orientation.
With a digital camera, however, images are often displayed on a computer monitor. Any images taken in the portrait orientation will be displayed at 90.degree. from their desired orientation. Since a computer monitor cannot be easily rotated to correct for pictures taken at different orientations, it is usually desired to rotate the pictures digitally before viewing.
Although this is a task that can be readily performed by the user's computer, the task also requires user intervention. Thus, when a user downloads pictures from a digital camera, each picture needs to be viewed and checked for correct orientation. User intervention is required to rotate any pictures that were taken in the portrait orientation. Although this process is not difficult, it requires time and can become tedious when downloading and correcting dozens of pictures.